This invention relates to a textile surgical implant.
The manufacture of textile surgical implants often requires the manufacture of a low number of items. Modern textile manufacturing methods, however, are usually only cost effective if large numbers are produced. An advantage of high volume automatic manufacturing methods is that the articles manufactured are almost exactly alike. Such similarity is required by the needs of modern scientific surgery, in order that all patients shall be treated alike and that there is no untoward variation from implant to implant.
It is, therefore, desirable that textile implants should be able to be made cost effectively in small numbers on machinery that is mechanically or electronically controlled in such a way that each item produced to the same design will be virtually identical.
It is also desirable that the design method used shall be simple and quick to carry out, in order to minimise design costs. Low design costs also facilitate the cost-effective production of implants made to individual measurements, which may be desirable for unusual medical conditions or for use in patients where it is necessary to produce an implant of an exact size to fit that person.
Ideally a textile implant will have the textile fibres placed in a position and direction which accord with the design requirements in order that they may carry out their function correctly, whether it be load-bearing or otherwise.
The present invention is intended to deal with the above-mentioned problems.